What separates should I use for my vandersteen 1c?

1. add 1 or 2 vandy 2wq subs. 2 better. that will work substantilly better than 2ce. if you will plan to replace 1c, you should skip 2ce and go for 3a or 3a sig. in fact 1c + 2x 2wq can work even better than 3A.
2. i'll second to krell kav 300i integrated. no need to stretch for separates for 1c because it will make them SING.
3. find John Rutan from Audioconnection(Verona) http://www.audioconnect.com/ who gets biggest respects in audio community and he'll tell you nearly same.

@Macrojack

I've read only great users reviews about the NC400. Seems like
it could be a good friend for many years to come. Thank you for the info.

Buy a used pair of NC400 mono amps for around $1800 and the balanced preamp of your choice. I have been using a Jeff Rowland Capri with mine. It mates very well. The performance level you will experience comes within a short distance of the finest electronics available today for around $3000 total.

Could the integrated Krell KAV 300i be a good match for Vandersteen 1C?

5000.00 would be better spent to upgrade the 2ce signature II or a used pair of 2ce sigs at least. That is truly the sweet spot in the Vandersteen line. Everything better than it costs a LOT MORE but the speaker far above the 1 costs less than a grand more after discount.

I have the new Audio Research VSI60 with the 2ce signatures. I find it a perfect match, but it will run you around 3.5-4k, leaving you a grand to up to the 2s.

Get a good digital rig and you're set for life.

Wanna really set your ears on fire, get a good turntable
and add a great phono section...........lots of great new vinyl out there and it is truly the only real high res source.....ask richard vandersteen.....

I know the Vandersteen 1c speakers are good but I am not sure why you want to spend $5000 on a $1200 pair of speakers? There are many great tube integrated amps out there that will blow your Onkyo receiver away for a lot less than $5000. Some of these tube amps are very easy to use.
Rogue Cronus $1800
Prima Luna Premium
Granite Audio
Jolida

The majority of the above recommendations with Vandersteen speakers would result in boring sound quality. However, you can't go wrong with Audio Research and Vandersteen speakers. You may also want to consider a Vandersteen subwoofer to take the load off of a sweet sounding low powered Audio Research tube amp. With the right source and cables you could have world class sound.

Rogue Audio Cronus...... an integrated amp that works really, really well with the Vandy 1C's. If you're intent on separates, then the Rogue Atlas/Metis combination should sound just as fine. Happy Listening.

With all due respect to the other posters, I'm not as big a fan of the Vandy's with c-j, especially c-j tube amps. IMHO, the Vandy's as great a value as they, are are bit bloated in the bass, not the last word in dynamics, and a bit reticent. c-j tubes tend to have the same characteristics. Now if you love that, and can't get enough, so be it. But, if your trying to balance qualities, both of these fine products are probably better suited for use with other gear than with each other. Just my 2 cents, YMMV.

Underscore CJ electronics with Vandersteen speakers. One of those few but ideal matches.

The best pre-amp under $2,500 is the Doge 8 from Pacific Valve at around $1,500. There is a broad range of amplifiers for your budget. You might opt for a solid state amp, as the Doge 8 is a tubed unit and the solid state amp (adequately powered) probably would give you better bass control.

Greg

If you don't understand and optimize your room acoustics spending 5 K on amplification can be of little help in getting the best out of your speakers.

That said both Macintosh and Van Alstine sound good with
Vandies.

I once had 1c's hooked up to Conrad Johnson pre and power tube gear. They sounded absolutely wonferful! Lots of used CJ components here on Audiogon.

Good luck!

You can save a bunch of money with this amp:
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1316719536&/McCormack-DNA-0.5-Deluxe-

I honestly don't remember if this particular amp works well with tube pre's. Some McCormacks work better than others with tubes.

With that much money available, and if your room can accomodate them, I'd suggest moving up to Vandy 2's. You'd still have money left over for some pretty decent electronics.